Combination-lock.



No. 802,501. PATENTED OCT. 24, 1905 R. C. FULTON.

COMBINATION LOOK.

APPLICATION FILED 0014,1902.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

INVENTOR Br ialbfiariifll azfan ffl/dzw Q /WWH PATENTED OUT. 24, 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

R. C. FULTON COMBINATION LOOK.

APYLIOATION FILED 00114, 1904.

@TATTES PATENT TTFFTCF).

COlVlBlNATlON LOCM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1905.

Application filed October 4, 1904. Serial No. 227,096.

To rtZZ whom it nmty concern:

Be it known that I, RIoHARDs G. FULTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Locks, of which the following is aspeciiicatiomsuch as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a combination-lock for use on safes, vaults, and the like, said lock comprising a plurality of sliding buttons adapted to be placed at suitable points in order that said lock may be opened, a further object being to provide a lock of this description which when the lock is opened automatically disarranges the com bination and forces the buttons to a predetermined point or position and which when the safe-door is locked automatically throws said buttons into an initial position in which said lock cannot be operated until said buttons are arranged. in a predetermined position, a still further object being to provide such a lock which is simple in operation and construction, capable of a vast number of combinations, composed of few parts, and will not readily get out of order and which permits of the changing of the combination at any time.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specilication, of which theaccompanying drawings form a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference charactersin each of the views,-and in which- Figure 1 is a front view of a safe with the face-plate removed and showing my invention in position, the parts thereof being arranged in an unlocked position and ready for the operation of locking; Fig. 2, a partial view of the faceplate of the door of a safe and showing the external parts of my apparatus in position; Fig. 3, a partial section of the safe, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4:, a partial section on the line 44 of Fig. l.

in the drawings forming part of this specification I have shown at (t a safe of the usual construction, said safe being provided with a door a and said door being provided with a plurality of bolts of, which pass through openings a in the edge of the safe proper when the bolts are forced outwardly and the safe locked, and said bolts a in the form of construction shown are connected by means of a bar a? and operate in suitable guides a. The

safe-door a is provided with the usual knob b, with which is connected within the door a a disk 6 and pivotally connected with said disk I) and the bar a of the bolts (4 is a connecting-rod 6 provided with a slot 5, into which passes a pin 7) on the bar a, and, as will be seen, partial rotation of the knob 71 in the direction of the arrow :0 causes the pin If to slide in the slot 71* until the shoulder of said slot engages said pin, and continued rotation of said knob forces the bolts outwardly.

Slidably mounted adjacent to the inner ends of the bolts a when said bolts are in a locked position is a baffle-plate c,provided with openings a, through which said bolts are adapted to pass, and the baffle-plate e is also provided with a plurality of recesses 0 the use of which will be hereinafter explained, and said baflieplate is provided with an arm 0", which carries a pin 0, operating in a slot 0 in the disk W, said slot in the form of construction shown in the drawings consisting of two concentric arcs of different radii connected by means of a radial slot, and when in locking the safe the knob 12 is rotated through an arc of ninety degrees in the direction of the arrow ;1 the disk If is rotated thereby and the arm 5* is forced forwardly until the shoulder of the slot 6 bears against the pin U, at which time the bolts (6 are moved outwardly and out of engagement with the baffle-plate c, and when the bolts are removed from the opening 0 in the baffle-plate c the shoulder c engages the pin a", which is mounted on the arm o said arm being permanently secured to the bafl'le-plate c, and continued rotation of the knob Z) carries the pin 0, and thereby the baffle-plate c, downwardly into a position not permitting the backward movement of the bolts a, and as the pin 0 is forced by this movement below the center of the disk 6 the distance thereof from the said center increases until the shoulder c is disengaged from the pin c" and said pin enters the outer concentric member of the slot 0. hen the rotation of the knob b is reversed, the pin 0 is engaged by the shoulder of the outer concentric arc of the slot 0 and is carried upwardly, thereby decreasing the distance thereof from the center of the disk 6 and the said shoulder is disengaged from the pin 0 and the said pin enters the inner concentric member of the slot 0, and the baffle-plate 0 connected therewith is also carried upwardly, and when the pin 0" passes into the inner concentric are of the slot 0 and the knob 7) is still rotated the connecting-rod Z) is moved a distance equal to the length of the slot 6*, and at this time the pin Z2 is engaged and continued movement of the knob b withdraws the bolts a and forces them through the openings 0 of the baffleplate 0, it being necessary to have the baffleplate 0 in the position shown in Fig. 1 before the bolts (L3 begin to move backwardly in order to permit of the full throw of said bolts.

Mounted on the face of the safe door a is a casing (Z, provided with a plurality of parallel slots (Z and through each of which passes a shank d of a button (2. Each of said shanks (Z is secured to a rack (Z adapted to slide in corresponding recesses in the casing (Z, and enmeshed with each of said racks (Z is a pinion 0, with which is connected a shaft (Z passing through the front plate of the door (6 and said shaft (Z is provided on its inner end with a pinion (Z similar to the pinion d, said pinion (Z being enmeshed with a rack e of a length and having a number of teeth equal to the rack (Z and, as will be seen, when the buttons d" are moved the rack (Z connected therewith operates the pinions d and (Z and the rack e is moved horizontally thereby in the same degree as the rack (Z The racks c are mounted on and preferably integral with the slide-bars 6 operating between guides 12 and said slide-bars e are each provided with a plurality of square-headed screws 0* on the rear edge thereof, said screws being adapted in either position of the baffleplate 0 to pass through the recesses 0 thereof; but, as clearly shown in Fig. t of the drawings, when a screw 0 of each of the slide-bars is in the recess 0 said bafiie-plate cannot be moved, and in Fig. 3 of the drawings I have indicated at a" a space unoccupied by one of the screws 6*, and each of the slide-bars a has one of the screws 6* removed therefrom, said screw being taken from any desired position on said slide-bar, the point from which it is taken corresponding with the number which it is desired to embody in the combination-as, for instance, if the fourth screw in one slidebar, the third screw in the second slide-bar, the ninth screw in the third slide-bar, and the sixth screw in the fourth slide-bar be removed the slide-bars must be moved into positions indicated by these numbers on the safe-door (I, in order to bring the vacant space as shown at c in line with the bafileplate 0, and when the slide-bars are so placed said baffie-plate 0 may be moved, and not until then, and I prefer also to remove the first screw c" of each of the slide-bars 0 as shown at a, and the reason for which will be described herein.

Slidably mounted at the left of and adapted to bear against the ends of the slide-bars e is a plate f, with which is pivotally connected a connecting-rod f said connecting-rod carrying a pin f operating in a slotf of the disk 5 said slot f" preferably being slightly greater than ninety degrees of a circle, and,

supposing all of the slide-bars e to be in a position where the space 6 is in line with the baffle-plate c, permitting the movement of said plate, and the disk 6 be at this time r0- tated in the direction of the arrow 3 the bolts (6 are forced outwardly, as previously described, and the baffle-plate c has been carried downwardly, and just previously to the limit of rotation of the knob b the pin f is engaged by the end of the slot f, and the connecting-rodf is carried backwardly thereby, by means of the plate f, moving all of the slide-bars 0 into a position where the first screw 0* of each of the said slide-bars is in the corresponding recess 0 of the baffle-plate 0, thereby preventing the movement of said plate until the said slide-bars are moved into the predetermined positions, said positions being those from which the screws 0* have been removed, as shown at a this result being accomplished by means of the operation of the buttons (1* in moving them to the corresponding positions which make the combination, and when the said slide-bars are in the last-named positions and the baffle-plate 0 being free to move the knob bmay be rotated in a direction opposite to that of the arrow y, and the baflieplate 0 is carried upwardly and the bolts a" backwardly, as previously described, and the safe is opened.

Secured to one of the bolts a is a vertical rod it, with which is pivotally connected a rod if, which is pivoted at k to a lever it", pivoted at if, and said lever if carries a plate it at the lower end thereof, and when the opera tion last described has been accomplished and the bolts forced outwardly the vertical rod 7L and the lever 73 have been drawn into the positions indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and the plate it is at a point adjacent to the eX- treme outer movement of the slide-bars 0 and when the combination of the safe is set and the safe open the lever h or plate it thereon engages the ends of the slide-bars e and forces them into positions whereby the spaces indicated at a and from which the screws o have been removed, and this position permits the movement of the plate 0 in the operation of locking the safe, as previously described, and in this way the lock.- ing of the safe withdraws the plate 7t, so as not to interfere with the movement of the buttons (Z and connected parts, and forces all of the slide-bars, and consequently the buttons (Z, into the position of the first or any suitable screw, thereby not permitting the movement of the baffle-plate 0, and before said slide-bars have been moved to this position the bolts have been shot outwardly and the bathe-plate 0 moved downwardly and the safe is locked, and when said safe is opened the combination, which it was necessary to set in order to open the same, has been destroyed and cannot be read, as will be readily understood.

IIO

Although .i have shown but two safe-bolts, it will be obvious that any number of bolts may be operated by means of my apparatus, and any number of the slide-bars c may be employed and any number of the screws e" thereon, increased number of either giving a correspondingly greater number of combinations, and various modifications of the details of the lock may be made, the basis of my invention being the slide-bars J, the buttons (f for operating them, the baflle-plate (r, and means for moving the slide-bars automatically in the process of locking or unlocking the safe.

Having fully described my invention, what 1 claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A combination-lock, com prising a plurality of bolts, a knob in operative connection therewith, a plurality of slide-bars, a plurality of screws mounted on each of said slidcbars, a battle-plate through which said bolts pass in an unlocked position, said baflle-platc being provided with recesses into which said screws pass and prevent movement of said battle-plate when said bolts are in a locked position, sub stantially as shown and described.

2. A combination safe-lock, comprising a plurality of bolts, a knob in operative connection therewith, a battle-plate preventing the movement of said bolts when in a locked position and through which said bolts pass when in an unlocked position, a plurality of slidebars, and means connected with said slide-bars for preventing the movement of said baflieplate in a locked position of said bolts-and for permitting the movement thereof when said slide-bars are arranged in a predetermined position, substantially as shown and described.

3. Acombination-lock, comprising a plurality of bolts, a knob in operative connection therewith, a bathe-plate, a plurality of slidebars in operative connection with said baflieplate, and serving to prevent the movement thereof when said slide-bars are in any other than a predetermined position, and a button on each of said slide-bars, said buttons operating on a graduated scale and thereby determining the predetermined position of said slidebars, substantially as shown and described.

4. A com bination-lock, comprising a plu rality of bolts, a batli e-plate therefor, a plurality of slid e -bars. serving to prevent the movement of said bailie-plate when said slide-bars are in a position other than a predetermined position, a knob in operative connection with said bolts and with said battle-plate, and means connected with said knob for moving all of said slide bars a predetermined distance When said bolts and battle-plate have been moved into a locking position, substantially as shown and described.

5. A combination-lock, comprisingaplurality of bolts, a knob in operative connection therewith, a battle-plate for said bolts also in operative connection with said knob, a plurality of slide-bars, a plurality of screws mounted on each of said slide-bars and adapted to pass through corresponding recesses in said battleplate, and devices connected with said bolts for moving all of said slide-bars to a predetermined position when said knob is operated. to withdraw said bolts, substantially as shown and described.

6. A combination-lock, comprising a plurah ity of bolts, a knob in operative connection therewith, a baiiie-plate for said bolts also in operative connection with said knob, a plurality of slide-bars serving to lock said battleplate against movement when in any other than a predetermined position, external devices for moving said slide-bars to predetermined positions, devices connected with said knob lor moving said battle-plate when said slide-barsare in a predetermied position to a position permitting the passage therethrough of said bolts, devices for moving said bolts backwardly when said balIie-plate is in the said position, and devices connected with said bolts for the moving of said slide-bars from the predetermined position to thcirinitial positions, substantially as shown and described.

A combination-lock, comprisinga plurality of bolts, a battle-plate therefor, a knob in operative connection with said bolts and said baflie-plate, a plurality of slidebars, devices on said slide-bars for preventing the movement of said battle-plate when said slide-bars are in any other than a predetermined position, devices for moving said slide-bars to their initial position when said bolts are withdrawn, and devices connected with said knob for moving said slide-bars to a locking position when said bolts and said baflle-plate have been moved into a locking position, substantially as shown and described.

8. In a combination-lock, a plurality of bolts, a baii'le-plate provided with openings through which said bolts pass when in their backward position, a plurality of slide-bars, a plurality of screws on each of said slidebars, one of said screws being removed from each of said slide-bars, and external devices for moving said baflie-plate when said slidebars are in positions where the vacant space of each of said slide-bars is in line with said battle-plate, suliistantially as shown and .described.

9. In a combination-lock, a plurality of slide-bars, a plurality of screws mounted on each of said slide-bars, a predetermined one of said screws on each of said slide-bars being omitted, a bathe-plate provided with recesses into which said screws pass and prevent the movement of said battle-plate, and devices for moving said batllc-plate when said slide-bars are moved to positions where the vacant space caused by the removal of said screw from each of said slide-bars are in line With baffle-plate, substantially as shown and described.

10. In a combination-lock, a plurality of bolts, a baffle-plate therefor, a plurality of slide-bars preventing the movement of said baflie-plate when in any other than a predetermined position, a rack on each of said slide-bars, a pinion in operative connection therewith, a supplemental pinion connected with each of said first-named pinions, a rack mounted on the face of said lock and enmeshed with a corresponding supplemental pinion, and a button secured to each of said external racks and operating over a graduated scale on the face of said lock, substantially as shown and described.

11. In a combination-lock, a plurality of bolts, a baffle-plate therefor, a plurality of slide-bars preventing movement of said baffle-plate when in any otherthan predetermined positions, a knob, and devices connected with said knob for moving said bolts, baffle-plate, and slide-bars consecutively in the operation of locking said lock and for moving said baffle-plate and said bolts consecutively in the operation of unlocking said lock, substantially as shown and described.

12. A combination-lock, comprising a plurality of bolts, a baffle-plate therefor, a plurality of slide-bars in operative connection with said bafiie-plate; a knob, a disk secured thereto, a connecting-rod provided With a slot engaging a pin on said bolts, a connecting-rod in operative connection with all of said slide-bars at the outer ends thereof, a pin on said last-named connecting-rod operating in a concentric slot in said disk, an arm on said baflie-plate, and a pin on said arm passing through and engaged by a slot in said disk comprising two concentric arcs of different radii connected with each other by means of a radial portion thereof, substantially as shown and described.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of the subscribing witnesses, this 3d day of October, 1904.

RICHARDS O. FULTON. Witnesses:

F. A. STEWART, O. J. KLEIN. 

